Buffalo Preps For World Juniors

Pegula Sports and Entertainment, the Buffalo Sabres, Visit Buffalo Niagara and the Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission  are working to prepare local attractions, hotels, restaurants and breweries for the upcoming influx of visitors expected for the 2018 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship .

These entities held an informational session on Wednesday afternoon to let the Buffalo tourism industry know what to expect when the tournament comes to Buffalo from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5. The core group of teams and officials are expected to conservatively generate $7 million in economic impact and occupy 7,300 hotel room nights, and the tournament will bring thousands of visitors to downtown Buffalo. Teams from Canada, Finland, Denmark, Slovakia, Belarus, Russia, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and the United States will be competing.

Information imparted at Wednesday’s session included:

The schedule, ticketing information, sponsorship opportunities and timeline of the coming tournament, which will stretch for 11 days. More on the tournament, including the outdoor game to be played at New Era Field, can be found at http://www.buffaloworldjuniors.com/.

–          VBN’s dozens of volunteers will staff over 500 volunteer hours outside KeyBank Center and at the host hotels,  armed with relevant maps, the official WJC fan guide printed by the Buffalo News and other pertinent information to make sure visitors have what they need. Anyone still interested in volunteering for the event can go to www.visitbuffaloniagara.com/volunteer .

The Visit Buffalo Niagara/ Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission Tweet team will assist Pegula Sports and Entertainment with social media engagement, promoting #WJCinBUF to visitors and the hospitality community to maximize communication during the game.

A plan for ground transportation, including a ridesharing pickup area at the corner of Washington and Scott Streets, and the coordination of the NFTA’s light rail with the games.

The information session is part of a larger strategy to make Buffalo as visitor-friendly as possible to ensure the tournament keeps coming back in future years.

“It’s remarkable to see how much our destination has transformed since the last World Juniors came here seven years ago,” Visit Buffalo Niagara and Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission President and CEO Patrick Kaler said. “We’re excited to provide these visitors with a first-rate experience in our resurgent destination and create a new group of Buffalo ambassadors around the world.”

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Donald Trump subjected a crew of flagpole installers to a bizarre press conference Wednesday, trapping the workers in an impromptu political rant that covered everything from bombing Iran to Harvey Weinstein's legal troubles.

And one of those who stood awkwardly behind the president has described his bewilderment.

The spectacle unfolded when Trump, trailed by reporters, marched toward construction workers erecting massive flagpoles on White House grounds. Apparently without warning, the workers found themselves unwilling participants in a wide-ranging presidential tirade.

"Any illegal immigrants?" Trump asked the crew upon approaching—presumably as a joke.

Christopher Tattersall, a 40-year-old tree surgeon from Maryland, later described his bewilderment at being thrust into the global spotlight. "I didn't really know what to think," he told The New York Times. "I was just there, in the moment, you know, and I got the president next to me giving a worldwide press conference."

As Trump launched into attacks on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Tattersall admitted he was completely lost. "I had no clue who he was talking about," he said. "I was basically just there as a fly on the wall, waiting for him to wrap it up and then we could get back to work."

The president's rambling expanded to include his "war on Harvard," Vladimir Putin, and conflicts between Pakistan and India. When Trump attempted crude humor about the flagpole "lifting," making suggestive references to words starting with "E," Tattersall remained unimpressed despite Trump's obvious expectation of laughter.

The awkward political theater adds to a later meeting in the Oval Office, where he subjected visiting soccer players to another impromptu political session. Timothy Weah, son of soccer legend George Weah and a U.S. Men's National Team star, found himself trapped alongside Juventus teammates as Trump discussed missile strikes and travel bans.

"They told us that we have to go and I had no choice," Weah said afterward. "I was caught by surprise, honestly. It was a bit weird. When he started talking about the politics with Iran and everything, it's kind of like, I just want to play football, man."

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